


Deja Vu

by deathandsaints



Category: LA by Night, Vampire: The Masquerade, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-11-08 14:22:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20836934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deathandsaints/pseuds/deathandsaints
Summary: Fifteen years after the events of Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, The Fledgling who became an Anarch hero returns to Los Angeles to help the Valley Coterie in the coming war with the Camarilla.





	Deja Vu

** _Chapter One: I Am Back_ **

**** _"Need I remind you of an obvious fact?_  
_I... Am... BACK_  
_Did you think I was an amateur or just a weekend hack?  
_ _I... Am... BACK" - I Am Back: Duncan Sheik_

Los Angeles. To some it is a city of dreams. To others it is a glimpse into a world of darkness where monsters rule the night and who to trust isn't always so apparent. It is a city that Ashley Miller has long called home and as the Nosferatu steps off the plane at LAX, for the briefest of moments she is happy to be back in the city of angels. It's only when she is shaken from her thoughts by the sound of a text message that her nostalgia fades and she is reminded of the dark underbelly she has been part of for the past fifteen years. 

Taking her phone out of the pocket of her long black coat she opens her inbox to a message that reads.

**Miller.   
** **Vannevar Thomas is making a play for Los Angeles. I need you to keep an eye on his Herald while he makes his rounds to the other Barons.**

With a perturbed sigh she answers the text, asking for any information that might help in locating the Herald and puts her phone away, thinking to herself as she retrieves her luggage from the turnstile.

_ "I leave for a month and suddenly the entire city is tearing itself apart again? Hell of a welcome back." _

Ash slips the hood covering her head down a little further to obscure her face from anyone who might see and begins making her way through the terminal and out onto the curb. Taking her phone out again she begins to scroll through her contacts for a specific number when she is distracted by the sound of a car horn to her right. She glances up from the device in her gloved hand in search of the noise to find a shiny black and chrome Bentley nearby that if she had to guess, she would say was from the late 1930's.

Leaning against the driver's side of the luxury vehicle, a man who is immediately familiar to Ash lights a cigarette then giving the Nosferatu a nod of acknowledgement, he straightens up and approaches her to help with her bags. Like the other ghouls she had met, Romero looked the same as he had at Hollywood Forever cemetery all those years ago with his strong, chiselled features and slicked back undercut that make him look like a bouncer at one of Hollywood's many nightclubs.

When the ghoul belonging to the Baron of Hollywood takes the luggage from Ash, she notes, following behind. "So, Abrams finally let you off zombie duty, huh?" 

Giving a grunt of exertion as he lifts the bags into the trunk of the car, Romero slams it shut and answers, taking a long drag of his cigarette and flicking the ash onto the street. "Only for tonight, _ Sugar Puss _."

As soon as he utters the term of endearment, Ash grimaces but lets the ghoul continue.

"Abrams said you were back in town and needed a driver for the night so he sent me." 

Once the two of them get into the car, Romero lets his cigarette hang loose from his lips and pulls away from the curb while the Nosferatu in the passenger's seat orders him to drive around until she has more information on where they're going. Driving out past one of the hangars down a side street, Romero points towards it and asks.

"Hey, did you go to that Succubus Club thing a few months ago? I heard things got crazy in there."

"Oh, no. I'm not exactly _ welcome _at those sorts of things."

With a shocked glance, Romero inquires as to why she wouldn't be allowed at the Succubus Club and with a smirk, Ash responds in a cagey tone. "There may have been an... incident a few years ago. Point is, Victoria Ash fucking hates me and, you know what? Feeling's mutual."

Just as Ash begins to drift off into her own thoughts, she receives a text message with a name and location.

**Charles "Chaz" Price  
** **Penthouse, Empire Hotel**

While Ash had never met the new Prince's Herald before, even in the years just after her embrace, the Nosferatu had heard the stories about Chaz Price. A talent agent from England, he had moved to Los Angeles to start his own firm where he dealt in everything from film and television to the fashion world to music, even dabbling in sports agency. 

He was a fixture at every showbiz event, usually with some young ingenue on his arm but behind closed doors there were always rumors of the ways he would treat both kindred and kine in his employ and exploits that would almost make Harvey Weinstein look like a gentleman. Were he still human, Charles Price was exactly the kind of prey Ash relished hunting.

Looking up from the text, the Nosferatu orders Romero to take her downtown and relays to him her plan for what to do once they arrive on the way there. When they reach the imposing art-deco hotel, Ash waits for the ghoul to open the door for her and disappears from sight then as she exits the vehicle she reminds him in a whisper.

"Hold back here until I come back and when you see someone enter that limo up ahead, tail 'em."

"You got it. Happy hunting." Despite being unseen, Ash gives a faint smile and rounding the back end of the Bentley she ducks into an alleyway beside the building in search of some kind of back entrance or at the very least, a sewer grate that might take her to an underground carpark. Finding a door to the hotel kitchen, she waits a moment or two and watches until a kitchen hand steps out with garbage to throw in a nearby dumpster. 

Before the door closes she slips inside and maneuvers her way through the kitchen while being careful not to be bumped into by any of the staff and following a waiter out she heads to the elevator. The second the doors open, Ash sneaks past the hotel patrons coming out into an empty car and presses a button for the floor beneath the penthouse then pushing open the hatch in the top of the elevator car she climbs up and out, riding it the rest of the way up.

When the elevator reaches the top floor, the Nosferatu jumps down and steps out, scanning her surroundings for any alternate route. At the end of the corridor she spots a window and walks towards it then sliding it open she climbs out onto the ledge, flattening her back against the wall as she shimmies across to a drainpipe leading upward. 

Carefully Ash hooks her hands around the slightly rusted steel and begins her ascent to the rooftop. Once she reaches the top she creeps along the edge and observes the guards standing out on the balcony, cursing silently when she notices the rain beginning to fall then climbing down behind the guards when he moves towards the railing. For a brief moment she conceals herself behind a planter filled with blood red roses then slinking past she enters the penthouse.

As the Nosferatu intruder takes in her surroundings, she notices the somehow simultaneously opulent yet gauche decor from the gilt detailing on the white marble walls to the grand staircase leading down to the lower level of the penthouse. From the top of the stairs she sees a large fireplace with a portrait of one of Los Angeles' most famous, or at the very least infamous figures; Griffith J. Griffith. She shakes her head then focusing herself on the task at hand she searches for the master bedroom.

Upon finding what she is searching for, Ash spies what looks to be a day planner on the dresser bound in expensive red leather and embossed on the front with a distinctive rose insignia. After glancing around to make sure the coast is clear, she flicks open the planner and begins taking pictures of anything that might be useful including an itinerary for the evening and a list. While she recognises every name on the list, it is the name that is missing that piques the Nosferatu's interest but before she can investigate more she hears the sound of expensive shoes and a snobbish English accent.

Quickly she returns the planner to the state she found it in and hides beneath the king size canopy bed, opening up the voice recorder on her phone and listening while Chaz and one of his ghouls discuss his travel plans for the evening. When the ghoul leaves, Ash waits as the Herald makes a phone call and presses record as soon as she hears him speak.

"Baron _ Voerman _ , I trust everything is in place for my arrival at Club Maharajah? Splendid. My entourage and I shall be there soon. In the meantime, do try to find out what you can about how the..." He pauses with a chuckle of contempt and continues. " _ Undisputed _ Baron of the Valley and his coterie of rabble plan to deal with the Prince. I assure you, your service to the Ivory Tower will not go unrewarded."

Suddenly everything about the missing name makes sense. While these nights Therese Voerman liked to play at being Baron of Santa Monica, Ash remembers just after her embrace where Therese would have done just about anything to show her loyalty to the Prince and while her current betrayal is hardly a surprise, Ash can't help but feel angered by it.

Once Chaz leaves the room, Ash slides out from under the bed and out the nearest window, texting Romero to prepare himself to follow the herald then making her way back down to street level. Just seconds before Chaz emerges from the front entrance to the Empire Hotel, Ash gets back into the waiting car and the two tail the armoured white limousine once it pulls away from the curb.

She briefly looks through the photos she took, sending them along to Baron Abrams then sends three other text messages. The first she sends to Nines Rodriguez who responds quickly, explaining that Chaz and his goons had shown up at The Last Round the night before and that when she has the time, she should stop by. The second text is to Gary Golden; the former Nosferatu Primogen. Though it takes some time, Gary returns her text with.

**Then I suppose I should have dinner prepared. I wouldn't want to insult the Prince's Herald.**

The third text she hesitates before sending, remembering the last time the two of them spoke and how she had left the following night with only a note that read.

_ "As much as we both might want this, I can't. As long as I'm around, you're in more danger than usual. Please just know that you mean more to me than you will ever know. You always have and you always will. I'm sorry, Ash." _

In the office above Club Maharajah belonging to the new Baron of The Valley; Victor Temple, Jasper Heartwood reaches into his pocket at the feeling of his phone buzzing and opens it to find a new text message. Were his heart still capable of beating it would have skipped at the sight of the name attached and excusing himself for a moment he walks out into the hall and calls the number.

"Ash, what do you mean expect visitors? What's going on? Why didn't you tell me you were back from New York?" He asks with a mix of confusion and shock. On the other end his clanmate answers.

"Look, I can't explain much right now but the Prince's new Herald is on his way. Some asshole called Chaz Price. Anyway, Abrams has me tailing him so leave a door open for me?"

As soon as he hears the name, the Nosferatu growls in annoyance and tells Ash. "I'll let Victor know. Listen, we need to talk."

"I know. I gotta go but I'll see you soon. By the way, be careful with Therese. Her being there isn't a coincidence." The two of them say their goodbyes and before he returns to the office, Jasper sends a text to the coterie's group chat to let them know what the call was about and warning them not to give anything away.

While the armoured limousine pulls into the adjacent parking lot that separates Club Maharajah from an abandoned office building, Romero parks the Bentley out on the street just around the corner. Before she gets out, Ash asks the ghoul to drop her things at her haven and thanks him for his help then vanishing from sight she follows Chaz and his ghouls inside the club.

Taking the spiral stairs leading up to the Temple of Boom Headquarters as the three men take the elevator, Ash breathes a sigh of relief to see the door to Victor's office already open and walks down the hall, taking up a space in the corner behind Jasper. For the briefest of moments the subtle hint of her perfume makes him forget himself and despite the memories replaying themselves in his mind, he forces himself to pay attention to the situation at hand.

For the rest of the meeting the intruding Nosferatu remains hidden and as ordered, listens while Vannevar's Herald delivers the Prince's proclamations from the appointment of the former Tremere Primogen and Regent; Maximillian Strauss as the Keeper of Elysium, to the issuing of a Blood Tax. 

Just when the coterie and the hidden interloper all think Vannevar's demands couldn't get more absurd, Chaz drops a bomb. For killing the Sheriff, Jasper would be the Gangrel's replacement and while the coterie laugh and scoff at the announcement, Ash is filled with an overwhelming sense of dread that very nearly gives her presence away. 

Tucking her fears for Jasper's current predicament away in the back of her mind she waits until after both Chaz and Therese leave but decides to wait a little longer when Nelli confesses just what it is that her sire has over her as not to seem rude. While she didn't know the fashion designer well, Nelli had been pleasant to her in the few times they had met at Baron Abrams' office and while the Nosferatu was not the type to play the thespian spy like Nelli, she certainly admired the artistry with which the Toreador did her job.

It is only when Abrams calls to debrief that she makes herself known to them and with a look of surprise when she makes herself known to the coterie, Victor and Annabelle both study the intruder, unsure of what to think of her on top of everything that has occurred. Before the Baron can move for his gun, Ash holds her hands up to show she's unarmed. Leaning forward a little and becoming visible again, she confirms to Abrams that she is there and after a moment or two to take in their new guest, Victor looks to Jasper and asks, pointing between the two Nosferatu in the room.

"Wait, do you two know each other? I mean, I don't wanna assume but..."

"We know each other." Jasper interrupts as Ash leaves the corner behind him and begins to circle the group slowly. Glancing up at her with a combination of disappointment and annoyance, he adds. "But I didn't know she was in town."

"And I didn't know I'd be coming back to a full scale war with the Camarilla,_ Jasper _. Thanks for that by the way." 

As Ash speaks, the obvious tension between the two doesn't go unnoticed by Nelli who tries her best not to react but still manages to crack a faint smile until Ash turns her attention to the Baron and addresses him.

"And Baron Temple... Or, is that Prince Temple. I get so confused these nights, what with everyone suddenly declaring Praxis. I'm not gonna lie, it's a bold move." Confused still by her presence, Victor thanks her uneasily only for Ash to raise a wry smirk in return and continue her train of thought.

"Yeah, I said bold. Not clever. Listen, I didn't fight my way through a _Tzimisce_ flesh pit, a bunch of third rate ninja wannabes, what I can only describe as a fuckin' slug octopus which spawned more of itself whenever I cut off a tentacle, a giant bat; who by the way, happened to be Sheriff at the time and Sebastian. _Fucking_. LaCroix in one_ fucking _ night... FOR SOME UPSTART BARON FROM THE VALLEY TO DECLARE PRAXIS."

She takes a moment to compose herself and asks. "What are you even hoping to accomplish? You think Vannevar is just gonna roll over and say "Shit, my bad, I didn't know that LA was taken already."?"

"I was hoping that I could at least stall him long enough to be able to sit down and talk." Victor begins to explain. "See, the Second Inquisition... is real, the stories are true and when they make their move, they're not gonna care about who's an Anarch or who's Camarilla or the Sabbat. They will kill all of us."

Breathing a heavy sigh, Ash concedes the Baron's point and recalls. "Yeah, I had to stop a cell of 'em once fifteen years ago when one of Abrams' childer got in trouble and had to skip town. I also heard about London so I get wanting to avoid fighting to deal with a bigger problem but I'm not sure you're gonna get what you want here. I've been where you are now and the only thing that stopped the last Prince that tried to take over was a slit throat and a shit-ton of C4. That said, I really do hope it works."

Still caught on the familiarity of the name Sebastian LaCroix, Victor tries to recall the stories he had heard just after his own embrace of the former Prince and the events that had shaken Los Angeles fifteen years earlier. Though he is still vague on a lot of the details aside from the rumor of Nines Rodriguez killing a werewolf at Griffith Park, he asks. 

"Wait, Sebastian LaCroix. You know, I heard something just after I became a Ventrue about some fledgling in Los Angeles who did a whole bunch of stuff over the course of, like, a week? But I thought that was just a myth. You mean all that stuff; the Sabbat, the Prince, an invasion of kindred from Asia... That was you?"

Before Ash can answer him, Jasper interjects. "See Victor, unlike the Ventrue or the Toreador, our clan... generally doesn't make a big deal of something like that and now that all of you know what she did fifteen years ago, Ash is probably in even more danger."

"To be fair, I'm always in some kind of danger and the blood hunt I got called on me was for Nines, who is obviously not dead so I might be fine." She gives a non committal shrug and with a quiet snarl, Jasper asks the rest of the coterie.

"Uh, can you all give us a minute? There are some things that we need to talk about _in private_." Nodding in agreement, Victor stands up and offers Ash a place to stay for the night instead of trying to beat the sun back to her haven and before retiring to the sub-basement, he turns to Nelli and promises.

"Look, I know tonight has been a night but tomorrow night after you've healed some of... this." He gestures to the wound in the Toreador's chest from where she was impaled on a beam earlier in the evening before continuing. "We can start searching for your sister but right now it's late and you need to rest so come on."  
  
Nelli gives a defeated sigh and looks to Ash then says. "It's good to see you Ash."

"You too Nelli, listen, if there's anything I can do to help look for your sister, let me know, okay?"

"Thank you, I'd appreciate whatever help you can give. Anyway, Victor's right so I'm gonna go get some rest." The Nosferatu and the Toreador give each other a curt nod and followed by Annabelle, Nelli and Victor depart, leaving Ash and Jasper alone.

Despite everything in him wanting nothing more than to be happy that Ash is back and to tell her all the things he hasn't been able to since she left, Jasper restrains himself, instead closing the office door behind them and asking nervously.

"So, are you _back_? Or are you leaving again?"

Ash lowers her head and tries to find the right words then with a sullen sigh the Nosferatu answers, folding her arms over her chest slightly. "I don't know yet. After what happened with Tara and... us, I thought you'd never want to see me again."

Cautiously, Jasper crosses the space between them and gently lifts her chin, questioning her as he moves in closer. "After everything we've been through, you really thought I wouldn't want to see you? Ash, I..." He hesitates just before saying what he truly wants to and when Ash lifts her hand to touch his, both of them give a heavy sigh. As Jasper rests his forehead against hers, Ash turns her head slightly towards the hand on her cheek and presses a soft kiss on the palm while she tries to fight the blood tears welling in her eyes.

"After I woke up and found that note and you gone, I thought you were never coming back." He pauses, blinking back his own tears then lightly running his thumb over her cheek he adds. "I thought I'd lost you again."

"I know. After what I did, I wanted to keep you safe and I thought..." Ash trails off as a stray tear rolls down her cheek and fills the room with the smell of vitae. For a moment Jasper can feel the Beast within him begin to stir but manages to shove it down and swallowing hard he confesses, his voice cracking.

"I missed you Ash."

"I missed you too Jasper. I felt so lost when I was in New York. It was like..."

"A part of you was missing?" Jasper asks, finishing Ash's question.

Looking up at the other Nosferatu, she gives a small nod and carefully wipes away the lines of blood now streaking Jasper's face while he stammers. "Please don't... don't go away again Ash. I need you."

"I won't, I promise." Ash replies in a hushed tone while her hand grazes the side of his face. Overcome, the pair lean into each other and as their lips meet they both give a sigh of release. Almost immediately the tension that had hung thick in the air since she had revealed herself to the rest of the coterie dissolves and with a small, purr-like growl, Jasper slips his arms around Ash's waist.

Lost in each other, neither of them notice when Annabelle opens the door and finds the two Nosferatu locked in a passionate embrace and for a moment the Brujah stares on, dumbfounded by what she is seeing and unsure of how to react. Deciding to give them the time alone they seem to need, Annabelle closes the door behind her and ponders exactly what might be going on as she makes her way to the couches in the waiting area of Temple of Boom Records and sits down.

In Victor's office the kiss ends and the two of the press their foreheads together once more not wanting to leave their little bubble. There is a contented growl from Jasper that makes Ash smile and as she gently strokes his face she leans in, planting a small peck on his lips before reminding him. "We uh... we should go downstairs. It's nearly sunrise."

"Yeah." Jasper rasps in response before returning her kiss. "We should." Emboldened by what has happened between them, he then notes, taking her hands in his. "So, we don't have to do anything but... I don't really feel like sleeping alone."

"Me either. But what about?"

"The others?" Ash nods as again, Jasper finishes her sentence and he tells her. "They know that we know each other Ash and I'm sure at the very least, Nelli suspects something going on between us. Besides, we've lost so much time already." The two of them smile at one another then leaving the office they stroll down the hallway hand in hand only to be met by Annabelle. Briefly they consider letting go of one another but decide not to, instead Jasper asking her what she's doing out in the waiting area.

"Uh, so I came back to introduce myself to Aaaash?" Annabelle begins, making sure she has the right name. When Ash nods in acknowledgement she tries to find the right words. "And I... Look, I saw the two of you kissing. I didn't mean to but I have so many questions. Are you two, ya know, a thing?" 

The Nosferatu pair glance at one another for a moment, knowing the answer without having to say it and with a sigh, Jasper deflects.

"It's a very long story Annabelle and the sun will be up soon so maybe another time?"

Despite her need to know more, Annabelle relents and stands up, following the couple down to the sanctum. Once they all get there and find the rest of the coterie and their Tremere guests asleep or close to it, Annabelle finds the bed she has called home since the incident at The Grove and Jasper leads Ash to his bed. After getting more comfortable they slip in beside each other and lying in each other's arms they share one last kiss before drifting off into a deep sleep.

While all of them are aware of the danger looming, at least for now, two kindred find themselves feeling a sense of peace and hope they both thought had gone long ago.


End file.
